Quick answer
A good floorball warm-up takes 10-15 minutes and moves from easy to sharp: start with 3 minutes of light running and joint circles, add 4 minutes of dynamic movement (lunges, side steps, leg swings), then spend 5 minutes on ball touches, passes and a few shots at rising intensity. Skip long static stretching before play; save it for the cool-down. The last minute should feel close to match speed.
Key takeaways
- Plan 10-15 minutes. Shorter than 8 minutes is rushed, and longer than 20 uses energy you want for the session.
- Go from slow to fast: raise your heart rate, move your joints, add the ball, then add speed.
- Use dynamic movements (leg swings, lunges, side steps) rather than long static holds before play.
- Include wrists, forearms, hips and ankles, which take the most load in floorball.
- Ball touches belong in the warm-up. Your hands warm up faster when they have a task.
- End with two or three game-speed actions: a sprint, a pass and a shot.
Why does warming up matter in floorball?
Floorball is a game of short sprints, sudden stops and quick turns on a hard floor. A warm-up raises your body temperature and prepares your muscles and joints for those movements. It also prepares your head: players who start the session with focused touches find their rhythm much faster than those who walk in and begin straight away.
I have coached teams that treated the warm-up as optional, and the same players often arrived at the first drill with stiff hips and cold hands. A routine you repeat every session is the easiest fix, because you stop having to decide what to do. If you want a team version for a club session, read the coaches' guide to team warm-up drills.
What does a 12-minute warm-up look like?
| Time | Block | What to do | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-3 min | Raise the heart rate | Easy jogging or skipping, arm circles, shoulder rolls, ankle rolls | Light |
| 3-7 min | Dynamic mobility | Walking lunges with rotation, leg swings (10 each leg), side steps, high knees, heel flicks | Light to medium |
| 7-10 min | Ball touches | Side-to-side, in-front-of-body and figure-eight touches; short passes in pairs | Medium |
| 10-12 min | Game speed | Two sprints of 10 m, two quick turns, 5 shots at medium to full pace | Medium to high |
If you have more time, add a short core block (plank for 30 seconds, side plank for 20 seconds on each side) between minutes 7 and 10. If you have less time, shorten the first block but never skip the ball touches and the final sprints.
Which dynamic exercises work best?
Choose movements that look like floorball. These six cover most of what you need and take about four minutes.
- Walking lunge with rotation (2 x 8 steps). Step forward into a lunge, then rotate your upper body toward the front leg. Cue: knee over the ankle, chest tall.
- Leg swings (10 per leg, forward and sideways). Hold a wall or stick for balance and swing the leg in a controlled arc. Cue: keep the hips square.
- Side steps with a low stance (2 x 10 m). Stay low, push off the outside foot and do not cross your feet. Watch for: standing up as you speed up.
- High knees and heel flicks (2 x 10 m each). Quick light contacts. Cue: stay on the balls of your feet.
- Wrist and forearm circles (10 each way). Hold the stick in front of you and rotate the wrists in both directions. Floorball is a wrist sport, so do not skip it.
- Trunk rotations with the stick across the shoulders (10 each side). Gentle rotation prepares the core for shooting.
How do you add the ball?
Bring the ball in only after your body is moving. Start with slow touches and increase speed as your hands feel warm. A smooth surface helps, because the ball rolls the same way every time. The Extreme Floorball Tiles 8-Pack (€79) cover about 0.9 m² and are enough for a full touch warm-up in a hallway, garage or at the training spot. Better Floorball is a Swedish brand, the tiles are designed in Sweden and tested for maximum durability, and they are Made in Europe.
| Touch drill | Reps or time | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| Side-to-side touches | 40 touches | Soft hands, wrists do the work |
| Front-and-back touches | 30 touches | Keep the ball one blade-length from your body |
| Figure-eight around two markers | 2 x 30 seconds | Look up every third touch |
| Partner passes from 3 m | 20 forehand, 20 backhand | Pass to the blade, receive softly |
If you train alone, the Extreme Floorball Passer (€129) acts as a partner: 20 forehand returns and 20 backhand returns take about two minutes and wake up the passing touch. For more solo ideas, see how to train floorball alone.
Coach Erik's tip: Warm up with the same order every time. After a few weeks, your body will start to expect the sequence, and you will feel ready faster. Write the five blocks on a card in your bag, and tick them off for a month until it becomes automatic.
Should you stretch before playing?
Hold-and-stretch work before play can leave muscles feeling loose rather than ready. Use dynamic movements before the session and keep long static stretches for the cool-down, when your muscles are warm. A few gentle holds for the hips, calves and wrists after training are fine and take five minutes. If you have a specific tight area, spend a little extra time moving it through its normal range with small controlled swings.
How should the warm-up change before a match?
Before a match, keep the same structure but make it more specific and a little sharper. Add shooting with your goalkeeper, one or two passing patterns with your line and a short sprint to the boards and back. If you need a plan for the whole day, see the game day routine. Cold hall? Add two minutes of jogging at the start, because a cold floor and cold air make the first minutes harder for your legs and hands.
Common mistakes
- Starting with full-speed shots. Cold wrists and shoulders do not like it. Fix: begin with soft shots and build over five or six repetitions.
- Static stretching only. It does not raise the heart rate. Fix: use dynamic movements and finish with sprints.
- Skipping the wrists. Floorball loads the wrists on every shot. Fix: 10 circles each way with the stick.
- Chatting through the warm-up. Intensity drops and the routine becomes a social stroll. Fix: set a timer and keep the pace.
- Doing the same easy routine forever. Fix: add one challenge block a week, such as a balance exercise or a reaction drill.
- Ending without game speed. The first minute of the match becomes the warm-up. Fix: finish with two sprints and five shots.
FAQ
How long should a floorball warm-up be?
Plan on 10-15 minutes before a normal training session. A 12-minute routine with 3 minutes of easy movement, 4 minutes of dynamic mobility, 3 minutes of ball touches and 2 minutes at game speed covers everything most players need.
What is the best warm-up for floorball?
The best warm-up is dynamic and specific: light jogging, lunges, leg swings, side steps and wrist circles, followed by ball touches, passes and a few shots at rising speed. It should leave you slightly warm and ready, not tired.
Should I stretch before a floorball match?
Use dynamic movements, not long static holds, before play. Static stretching is better after the session when your muscles are warm. If one area feels tight, move it through its normal range with small controlled swings before you start.
Can I warm up at home before a session?
Yes. A hallway or garage is enough. Do your jogging and dynamic exercises first, then use a smooth surface for 5 minutes of ball touches and a few passes. Arriving at training already warm lets you start the first drill at full quality.
Why include ball touches in the warm-up?
Your hands and wrists need to wake up as much as your legs. Touches get the blade moving, sharpen your coordination and prepare the passing and shooting feel. They also make the warm-up more enjoyable, especially for younger players.
How is a match warm-up different from a training warm-up?
The structure is the same, but a match warm-up adds team patterns, shooting at the goalkeeper and a short sprint block. It should end close to game intensity, then give you a minute or two to rest and focus before the first whistle.
Summary
A warm-up of 10-15 minutes, built from light movement, dynamic mobility, ball touches and a final game-speed block, makes every session better. Keep the order the same each time, include your wrists, and avoid long static stretches before playing. Explore more routines in the Floorball Training hub, and follow us on Instagram @better_floorball for weekly drills.
